Automatic stop mechanism for paper-folding machines.



R. 0. SMITH. AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM FOR PAPER FOLDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 050.29. 1906.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

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Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

II. C. SMITH. AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM FOR PAPER FOLDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-29. I906.

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. R. C. SMITH. AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM FOR PAPER FOLDING MACHINES.

I My 'vwewtoz u I x APPIJCATION FILED DEC. 29. I906.

, Patented Nov. 9

4 SHEETSSHEET "I- wi/tmo oeo para spans Parana clarion ROBERT 0. SMITH, OFHARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'I'O ELLIOTT-FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N, Y., A CORPOTIDN OF DELAWARE.

AUTOMATIC STOP MECN'ISM FOR PAPER-FOLDING- MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

' Application filed December 29, 1906. Serial No. 350,001.

tated for the purpose of winding thereon amanifold strip produced by paper folding mechanism through which the paper strip is of the receiving drum.

drawn from a delivering roll by the action The object of the present invention is to provide a stop mechanism which will autd matically stop the receiving drum when a predetermined length of paper has been wound thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the stop mechanism will effect the stoppage of the receiving drum after any one of several different lengths of paper have been wound on the latter.

A still further object is to arrange the stop mechanism for both automatic and manual control so that the paper folding machine will be automatically stopped after a predetermined period of operation and may be manually stopped at any time should it become necessary to adjust the paper or replenish the delivering roll.

To the accomplishment of these objects and others which will hereinafter more fully appear, the preferred embodiment of the invention includes that construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and embraced within the scope of the appended claims.

In said drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a Ziegler paper folding machine equipped with my stop mechanism. Fig. 2

IS a plan view of the same subject-matter,

Each. part is indicated by the same reference character wherever shown.

Pi'oceedingfirstv with a general description of the Ziegler paper folding machine, in connection with which my stop mechanism is shown, 1 indicates a table at opposlte ends of which are mounted a delivering drum 2 and a receiving drum 3. Intermediate of these drums the table 1 serves as a support for a paper folding grid 4 through which a paper web or strip is drawn from the drum 2, and after being converted into a manifold strip, by its passage through the grid, is wound upon the receiving drum 3 by the rotation of the latter. The drum 3 is mounted on a drum shaft 6 supported in suitable bearings, as shown in Fig. 2, and provided with a belt pulley 7 which is geared through the medium of a belt 8 to a. loose pulley 9 on the driving shaft 10 journaled in suitable bearings 11 below the table 1 and driven by a suitable motor through the medium of a belt 12 and .a pulley 13. Mounted to rotate with the driving shaft 10 p and also having movement longitudinally of the shaft is a clutch 14 of any suitable type, arranged to engage the pulley 9 for the purpose of connecting the: latter to the driving shaft 10 when it is desired to operate the paper folding machine. The clutch 14 is urged toward its engaging position by a spring 15 encircling the shaft 10 and is adapted to be moved out of engagement with the pulley 9, for the purpose of stopping the machine, by a clutch lever 16 mounted in a fulcrum standard 17 and having a bifurcated end 18 engaging an annular groove 19 in the clutch 14 in a manner well understood in the art.

Proceeding now to describe the elements which cooperate with those enumerated to control the operation of the machine, 20 indicates a vertically disposed lever fulcrumed at its lower end, as indicated at 21, and arranged to engage the clutch lever 16, as shown in Figs; 3 and 4, for the purpose of swinging the latter to operate the clutch 14. The upper end of the lever 20 is connected to apair of controlling levers 22 and 23 located at opposite ends of the table 1. The illustrated form of the connection includes a pair offlexible pieces 24 and 25 whichare led to the controlling levers from the lever 20 and are passed around guide pulleys 26 and 27 mounted on the table.

As shown in, v

Figs. land 2, the described arrangement is 39 mounted on such that by operating either of the controlling levers, the lever is swung in the proper direction to swing the clutch lever 16 for the purpose of moving the clutch 14 to its disengaged position against the resistance opposed to such operation by the spring 15. It will thus be seen that an operator standing at either end of .the table can instantly disconnect the machine from the driving shaft in order to stop the receiving drum and the consequent feed of the paper, Whenever such stoppage is necessary or desirable.

In addition to the described mechanism for manually stopping the machine, I have also devised means whereby the machine is automatically stopped after a predetermined period of operation. Disposed parallel with the driving shaft 10 is a support 28 above which are disposed a guide rod 29 and a feed 'screw 30, the former being rigidly retained adjacent to its opposite ends in tracks 31 and 32, and the latter being rotatable in bearings 33 and 34. When the folding machine is in operation, the feed screw driven from the drum shaft 6 through the medium of a sprocket chain 35 and sprockets 36 and 37 keyed or otherwise secured to the drum-shaft and feed'screw, respectively.

Movable longitudinally of the support 28 is a carriage 38 guided by the guide rod 29 engaged at its opposite sides by guide rollers the carriage 38. Extending from one end of the carriage 38 is a buffer 40 which normally bears against the lever 20 and holds the latterin position to maintain the disengagement of the clutch 14. Mounted in a bracket 41 secured to the end of the rod 29 is a spring drum 42 constituting retracting means for the carriage 38 to which it is connected by a tape 43. This drum is of ordinary character, being substantially like similar drums employed to propel the carriages of typewriters.

Movable with the carriage 38 is a traveler 44 in the form of a spring having an angular foot 45 at one end secured by any suitable means to the carriage and having its opposite end extended over the feed screw 30, but normally sprung up. One side edge of the traveler. is turned down to form a tooth 46 designed to engage the feed screw but disengaged therefrom by the upward spring of the free end of the traveler unless positively held in engagement with the screw. Along one side of the support 28 is disposed an elevated ledge 47 upon which is supported a sectional guard plate 48 arranged to hold the traveler 44 in engagement with the feed screw 30 as the traveler is advanced by the rotation of the screw and against the resistance of the spring drum 42. The front end of the plate 48 is provided with an end bevel or cam 49 which facilitates the passage of the traveler to its position below the plate, and arranged in advance of the cam 49 is what may be termed an oppositely disposed engaging cam 50, preferably formed b disposing at an inclination the rear en of a plate secured to the ledge 47.

In order to avoid any noise or vibration incident to lost motion, the traveler 44 is sprung laterally so that the side edge thereof opposite the tooth 46 will occupy a slightly elevated position until the traveler passes under the guard plate 48, which latter will depress the elevated edge of the traveler and thus cause the spring or re.- siliency of the latter to urge thetooth 46 into close engagement with the screw. It

will thus be seen that the inherent resiliency of the traveler is utilized to'urge the tooth into engagement with the feed screw during the advance of the carriage and to disengage the tooth from the screw when the traveler has reached the rear ,end of the guard plate 48.

. Normally the. parts occupy the positions shown in Fig. 3. If now the operator desires to start themachine, the receiving,

drum 3 is rotated, more or less, by.;hand.

This will impart rotary movement to the feed screw 30 through the intermediate sprocket and chain connection, and asthe traveler 44 is in engagement with the screw,

the carriage 38 will be advanced, thus withdrawing the bufier 40 from the lever 20 and permitting the spring 15 to throw the clutch 14 into engagement with the pulley 9. As soon as this engagement takes place, an operative connection will be established between the driving shaft 10 and the drum shaft 6, and the machine will then beoperated by power for the purpose of drawing the paper strip 5 from the delivering drum 2 and through the folding mechanism 4, the manifold strip being wound upon the receiving drum 3 in the manner heretofore stated.

When a predetermined length of the manifold strip has been wound upon the receiving drum, the traveler 44 will have reached the rear end of the guard plate 48 and being unopposed by the. plate, will spring up, thus disengaging the tooth 46 from the feed screw and rising to a position above the lower side of the late 48. The ,carriage being thus freed rom the screw, will now be quickly retracted by the drum 42 for the purpose of swinging the lever 20 to shift the clutch 14 out ofengagement with the pulley 9 and thus stop the machine by breaking the connection between the driving shaft 10 and the drum shaft 6. The machine will thus be automatically stopped after a predetermined operation, and as the cam 50 will depress the traveler. into enga ement with the feed screw as said travele reaches the limit of its retractile movement,

the elements of the stop mechanism will be restored to their normal positions and will be ready for a repetition of the descrlbed operation when the folding machine is again started.

By providing the plate 48 with a scale or series of graduations 48 the traveler 44 serves as an indicator, since its position with respect to the scale on the plate 48 will indicate the quantity of paper which has been wound upon the receiving drum of the folding machine. Furthermore, by having the plate 48 of sectional form, as shown in Fig. 6, the length of the plate and thus the period of operation of the folding machine may be regulated by removing one or more of the sections or utilizing the full length ofthe plate, as desired.

It is thought that from the foregoing, the construction and operation of my stop mechanism will be clearly comprehended, but while the illustrated embodiment of the invention is thought at this time to be preferable, I desire to reserve the right to effect such changes, modifications, and variations of the illustrated structure as may come fairly within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim is 1. The combination with driving and driven members and a clutch connecting the same, of a stop mechanism including a feed screw operated by the driving member, a carriage fed in one direction by the screw, means for automatically releasing the carriage fromthe screw, means for retracting the carriage, and means for causing the carriage when retracted to operate the clutch and thereby disconnect the driving and driven members.

2. In a stop mechanism, the combination rwith a feed screw, a carnage and a controlling device operated by; the carriage, of a traveler movable with the carriage and having a normal tendency to move out of engagement with the feed screw, and a fixed guard acting-to prevent disengagement of the traveler from the screw during a predetermined movement of the carriage.

3. In a stop mechanism,the combination with a reciprocatory carriage, a controlling device operated thereby and a feed screw, of a traveler movable with the carriage and arranged to engage the feed screw, a guard extending along the path of movement of the traveler to prevent the disengagement of the traveler from the screw during a predetermined carriage movement,means for retracting the carriage, and means for automatically moving the traveler into engagement with the screw upon the retraction of the carriage.

4. In a stop mechanism, the combination a with a reciprocatory carriage, of a controlling device operated thereby, a feed screw, a spring traveler mounted on the carriage and having a normal tendency to move out off-engagement with the screw, a cam for moving the traveler into engagement with the screw, and a guard preventing disengagement of the traveler from the screw until the carriage has completed its proper movement.

5. In a stop mechanism, the combination with a reeiprocatory carriage, a spring traveler mounted thereon, a feed screw arranged to be connected with the carriage by the traveler and to move the carriage in one direction, a guard preventing the traveler from disengaging the screw until the earriage has completed a predetermined movement, means for retracting the carriage, a fixed cam arranged to move the traveler into engagement with the screw as the carriage approaches the limit of its retractile movement, and a controlling device operated by the carriage upon its retraction.

6. The combination with driving and driven members and a clutch controlling the operative connection thereof, of a stop mechanism including a feed screw operated by the driving member, a carriage fed in one direction by the screw, means for automatically releasing the carriage from the screw, and means for retracting the carriage to operate the clutch and break the connection between the driving and driven members.

7. In a stop mechanism, the combination with a controlling clutch and a clutch lover, of a feed screw, a carriage coacting in normal position with the lever and movable by the screw, means for automatically releasing the carriage after predetermined travel thereof, means for retracting'the carriage when released to cause the same to operate the clutch, a manually operated device re mote from the clutch lever, and a connection between said manually operated device and such clutch lever.

8. The combination with a controlling clutch, of a feed screw, a carriage movable by the screw, means for releasing the carriage from the screw means for retracting 

